Archery bows of all types include a pair of curved elastic limbs connected by a bow string. As the bow is drawn by pulling back on the string, energy is stored in the limbs. When the string is released, the string is propelled rapidly forward and energy is transferred via the string to an arrow to be projected by the bow. Compound bows use a lever system having cables and pulleys to bend the limbs. Compound bows typically have a stiff central riser made of aluminum or the like and a pair of rigid yet elastic limbs made of a composite material and mounted to limb pockets at opposite ends of the riser. Each limb is typically solid or split to have a base and two limb portions extending from the base. The riser has a central grip that is grasped by the user with an adjacent arrow rest which supports a shaft portion of the arrow.
Archers seek an archery bow that will achieve consistent accuracy. In addition to being accurate, an archery bow should also be adjustable with respect to the bow poundage and brace height. The brace height of a bow is the distance from the string to a low or pivot point of the grip grasped by the archer when the string is at the rest position and not pulled back. Shortening the brace height increases the bow poundage or draw weight, which is the force required to fully draw the string and corresponds to the energy stored by the limbs that will be transferred to the arrow upon release of the string. Bows with shorter brace heights are typically faster, having more draw weight, but are less forgiving to shoot. Bows with longer brace heights will generally shoot slower, with less energy transferred, but will be more forgiving to errors of form or technique of the user. Accordingly, it is desirable to enable an archer to easily adjust the brace height, and hence poundage, to better configure a bow to suit a particular archer.
Various attempts have been made to provide a limb pocket that will allow for adjustment of the draw weight of the bow, but do so without changing the brace height. For example, a conventional structure utilizes a pivot design that allows the limbs to pivot with respect to the riser. In the pivot design, a limb bolt is tightened or loosened to provide for adjustment of the draw weight, but without changing the brace height. The use of a pivot is also disadvantageous in that it creates inaccuracies when the limb bolt is backed out to reduce the draw weight of the bow. Accordingly, what is desired is an improved bow structure that enables adjustment of the draw weight and the brace height of the bow while avoiding shortcomings of prior adjustment structures.
Improvement is also desired in the provision of bow limbs.
Accordingly, the present disclosure relates to adjustable limb pocket systems that allow one or more of the limbs to slide with respect to the riser, providing adjustment of both the draw weight and brace height of the bow. The disclosure also relates to improved bow limbs, and to adjustable limb pocket systems for use with the same.